Taste of Warsaw
Opublikowano: 20 stycznia 2016

Warsaw is a fantastic city, full of attractions, business potential, magical places…and tastes! It takes a  considerable amount of effort to describe, assess and put into a wider context the culinary richness of the Polish capital…but let’s try. In Taste of Warsaw we are writing about the places that are not to be missed when navigating the city’s culinary map. Please read about each of the places we have selected for you, and then try them out yourselves. They are definitely worth our recommendation!

It is great to finally see someone to come up with an idea of a place showcasing the Poles’ national pride and joy. After all, we are in the country by many believed to be the producer of the best vodka in the world. Elixir by Dom Wódki is the first restaurant in Poland that focuses on the Polish traditional spirit of choice, but not on its own, as more than 250 types vodka are offered here accompanied by some excellent dishes from Polish cuisine. In creating the menu, the owners have implemented a food pairing system, in which specific meals are coupled with matching alcohol recommendations. Moreover, the food is prepared with a considerable dose of inventiveness and with locally sourced ingredients. Thus, if you are after an unforgettable culinary journey featuring creations of some the best Polish distillers – with Elixir by Dom Wódki you are in for a treat.
ph.: (+48) 22 828 22 11
Plac Teatralny, ul. Wierzbowa 9/11 / www.domwodki.pl

 

Casa Pablo presents an innovative take on Spanish cuisine. With international influences, it’s a place where creative dishes from authentic Spanish products are served in a vintage setting. Both cuisine and interior design remain strongly Spaininspired. It will appeal to a range of guests on a variety of occasions. The decorative pieces in Casa Pablo – refurbished factory equipment – are originally from Spain (such as the tall tables, popular in Spanish restaurants, which come from a bread-baking factory). The  co-owners designed the place themselves to create a warm, welcoming and lively interior with an authentic Spanish feel.

Casa Pablo captures the magic of Spain, a country devoted to food. All the dishes are made with passion by talented Spanish chefs and are often based on family recipes.
ph.: (+48) 22 324 57 81
ul Grzybowska 5a / www.casapablo.pl

 

The restaurant Dwie/3 is situated in the heart of Warsaw on the corner of Wilcza and Poznańska. The restaurant’s natural and cozy decor and its professional, friendly, and efficient service create a unique atmosphere, which will be remembered for a long time after your visit. The restaurant serves Mediterranean cuisine, fusionstyle, and combines tradition with modernity. Mediterranean cuisine is often thought of as being similar to Italian cuisine. However, that is not completely true. Mediterranean cuisine consists of a wide palette of flavors from European countries like Greece, France, and Spain, but also flavors from Middle Eastern countries like Turkey, Israel, and Northern Africa. In Warsaw’s restaurant Dwie/3, you can taste food from all corners of the world.

The Mediterranean fusion from Dwie/3 is built on a combination of passion, knowledge, and the experience of
its two chefs. Marek Kropielnicki – a chef and popular blogger, known online as Marco Blue and Michał Piotr Muśnicki, learned to cook from the best (he worked with Wojciech Modest Amaro). Their menu puts a strong emphasis on fish and seafood as well as slow food dishes, all made from regional and organic products. The restaurant features a professional sommelier for guests, who selects the wine best suited to the meal, by analyzing
the food ordered by the guests and while keeping in mind their personal preferences and tastes.
ph.: (+48) 22 623 02 90
ul. Wilcza 50/52 / www.dwietrzecie.waw.pl

 

If you are a seafood aficionado, you should try out L’Arc Varsovie at ul. Puławska 16. The restaurant prides itself on the best oysters and lobsters in Warsaw, and rightly so. The restaurant was opened 4 years ago in Mokotow
with lovers of seafood and French cuisine in mind. Although lobsters and oysters are believed to be extremely costly in Poland, the dishes are very affordable. Prices for a plate of 6 oysters (with 5-6 types best quality oysters and a variety of serving styles to choose from) start at PLN 35, and for a lobster you can pay as little as PLN 99. It can be prepared in many different ways – with cocktail, citrus or béchamel sauce, or in a gourmet version – with sturgeon caviar. If you are not sure how to properly consume oysters or lobsters , the friendly and professional staff will be happy to provide you guidance in this new undertaking.
Except for its main specialties, the restaurant also serves fish, mussels, meat dishes and soups. All seafood is always fresh, delivered directly from France and Holland. The dessert menu includes crème brûlée, as well as delicious white chocolate cheesecake. On the top of that, there is an “all you can eat” option available on Saturdays for PLN 119.Finally, as far as alcoholic beverages are concerned – L’Arc has anything you might think of: from exquisite wines (not just from France – the restaurant as the only one in Warsaw offers Siding Hill, an excellent white wine from New Zealand), best armagnac (Castarede) and calvados (such as Chateau du Breuil), through to cognacs (e.g. Henessy).

ph.: +(48) 22 465 13 58, mob: +48 519 00 00 50

Puławska 16/ www.larc.pl

Restaurant Z57 in Saska Kępa in Warsaw is a great lunch and dining option for those who value quality and comfort-inducing atmosphere. The venue pairs deluxe interiors with international cuisine inspirations.
The dishes on offer alter regularly, at least every fortnight, and include refined set menu options. The owners aimed at creating an individual cooking style to prepare meals “just in time”. As a result, Z57 has an open kitchen, where the chefs’ work is witnessed by the guests. All ingredients are ordered only when required, which means deliveries are received a few times daily, which guarantees the freshness of the products. The wine card also constantly changes and is dependent on global trends. Professionally trained sommeliers help you choose drinks matching your preferences and the served dish. The place has been given a very high rating in this year’s edition of Gault & Millau, a prestgious culinary guide. It is open everyday from noon till midnight, and lunch is served until 4pm.
ph.: (+48) 22 115 97 90
ul. Zwycięzców 57 / www.z57.pl…situated on the rooftop of Centrum Olimpijskie means a modern setting, original fusion cuisine ideas and the possibility to have a terrific meal with a panoramic view on Warsaw from the very centre of the green distric of Żoliborz. What the restaurant attracts with the most and what we would like to heartily recommend to you are the culinary workshops organised here – also for children. The workshops are run by the head chef and the author of the restaurant’s menu – Jarosław Uściński – the coach of a junior team for culinary olympics and of the Polish BBQ team with multiple achievements all around the world. Uściński is renowned for his signature dishes, created while on a quest to find new flavours and extraordinary ingredients combinations, and also for tapping into new trends in culinary art, such as the sous vide method. The culinary workshops conducted by him are an invaluable opportunity to get the culinary know-how and a chance to develop your cooking skills.
ph.: (+48) 22 560 37 33
ul.Wybrzeże Gdyńskie 4 / www.moonsfera.pl

Le Cedre 61
The salient fact about Lebanesecuisine is that it is truly Mediterranean, with healthful ingredients and preparations that emphasize the use of fresh ingredients. With 20 years of history, Le Cedre is the only Lebanese
restaurant of its class. Offering a diversity of flavors–cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, and mint–one can actually get a fine sense of Lebanon’s culinary traditions here. Le Cedre is not only a place for a delicious cuisine but also
offers a virtual excursion to a country of holiday resorts – a large collection of Lebanese wines, original interior design, and Arabic music in the background, all contribute immensely to the feeling! What matters here ultimately is that the food is absolutely top in its composition, immensely healthful and refreshing, and served in a traditional setting which completes this Lebanese experience.
ph.: (+48) 22 670 11 66
Aleje Solidarności 61 / www.lecedre.pl

Le Cedre 84
Le Cedre, the top Lebanese venue in town, now has a newer branch at Aleja Solidarności 84, which is located closer to the city center. With a 20 year history at the older venue, the name „Le Cedre” already enjoys an outstanding reputation in Warsaw. No surprise therefore that this newer venue is a favorite place for discussing business over lunch for the city’s corporate bigwigs, dinner with family, or simply for partying with friends! Lebanese cuisine is indeed a symbol of its people’s hospitality, where nothing strengthens the human bond more than eating together. This refined Mediterranean cuisine delights and refreshes with its healthlyingredients, the menu here replete with Lebanese classics such as an array of cold and warm mezze. With Lebanese wines on the menu, ingredients flown in from Lebanon, Le Cedre 84 is a class act through and through!

ph.: (+48) 22 61 88 999
Aleje Solidarności 84

Oliva is a place where tasty food with Mediterranean flavours is a component of balanced diet and healthy  lifestyle. The atmosphere invokes the fragrances and flavours you might remember from trips to Southern  Europe. It is clear that the owners’ desire was to recreate the scent of golden olive oil warmed up by the sun and to make you think of finest wines. All dishes are based on recipes from Mediterranean and Polish cuisine, and are a perfect representation of Oliva’s character. You will find there the best extra virgin olive oils from Italy, Spain and Greece, and at a great value. Steaks are definitely the specialty of the house – of a very high quality and perfectly cooked to the level of doneness desired by a customer. The cuts offered include Polish beef and Limousine meat – a product of the highest European quality, originally from Podlasie, the region of Kurps Plain and Narwia Valley – the areas currently under environmental protection. All steaks are rubbed with an original blend of coffee olive oil, fresh rosemary and pepper.
We were told all pasta is home-made – prepared using Calabrian semolina durum and free-range eggs from regional suppliers. The pizzas on the menu were made up of highly valued imported ingredients such as buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes from Campania, artichokes from Lazio, Grana Padano from Bologna and Serrano ham from Sierra Morrena. The dessert recommended by the restaurant is halvah, a delicacy which in the east of Europe is a symbol of respect towards guests and when offered should be considered as a wish of happiness . In Oliva halvah is served frozen like ice cream, with a salt flower and aromatised orange olive oil. Last but not least, Oliva also offers tapas. If you prefer a smaller dish, you can enjoy the chicken liver pâté that will literally melt in your mouth with a glass of wine from different parts of the world.

ph.:. +48 501 497 410
ul. Ordynacka 10/12 / www.restauracjaoliva.pl